Box



Dec. 24, 1935. R. A. BONN 2,025,410

BOX

Filed Oct. 12, 1934 [NVEN 7018.

i wrfwy v a sliding bolt 2| in a guide 22.

Patented Dec. 24, 1935 UNITE STAT Claims.

This invention relates to boxes or containers of the type which may beused for the safekeeping of valuables or for containing articles, accessto which is to be made difficult, and for other uses. The object of theinvention is to provide a box having a looking or closing mechanism soarranged that it lends an air of mystery or magic to the box in that thebox cannot be opened without knowledge of its locking. mechanism. Or atleast, that the opening and the closing of the box occurs in a manner toarouse the curiosity and so that the box besides being useful may alsoserve as an amusing novelty.

To this end the invention is embodied in the box having means thereforso arranged that the cover can be opened only when the box is held inone certain position and a certain locking mechanism operated in acertain manner not easily ascertainable. In the accompanying drawmg Fig.1 is a top view of the box.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Figure 2 but shows the box turned upsidedown.

Fig. 5 is an end View of the box.

Fig. 6 shows a modification.

Fig. 7 is a detail view of parts of Figure 6.

The box consists of a bottom I0, two sides H and i2, and two ends is andId. The top is open and is closed by a cover 15. The cover is hinged orpivoted to the box by a pin it which passes through the top and into aflange I! at one end of the box. The flange l1 extends from side to sideof the box and forms a sort of shelf therein. The cover is thereforemounted to be swung horizontally on the box to open it. Normally suchmovement is made impossible because of a small stud l8 which is seatedby gravity in a socket l9 in the flange l1 and which projects intoanother socket 20 in the cover.

Thus the cover cannot be moved so long as the stud l8 engages the cover.

At the other end of the box there is located The bolt is connected bymeans of a suitable looped wire or otherwise to a nipple 2-3 whichcarries a knob 24 outside the box. The nipple 23 extends through a slot25 in the end of the box. The slot 25 is hidden from view by the knob.The bolt 2! has a normal position as shown in Figure 2, that is, it doesnot engage the cover. However, when the box is turned upside down thebolt 2! will fall by gravity into a socket 26 in the cover.

The operation is as follows: Figure 2 shows what may be called thenormal position of the box resting upon its bottom and with the coverlocked and immovable. The box is opened first by turning it upside downas shown in Figure 4. In this position the stud It has fallen by gravityfrom the socket 19 in the box into the socket 20 in the cover below thedividing line, so this stud no longer engages the box and forms nohindrance to the swinging movement of the cover. However, when the studl8 becomes disengaged from the box, the bolt 2! falls by gravity intoengagement with the cover and enters the socket 26 therein. Consequentlythe cover, while being automatically unlocked at [9 is now automaticallylocked at 26 and cannot be opened until one takes hold of the knob 24and lifts the sliding bolt up out of the cover socket 26. Then the boxis opened by swinging the cover to either side on the pin l6.

It will be seen therefore, that a person not knowing the mechanism ofthe box will be mystified in trying to open it and may never succeed inopening it because the box must be held in the exact upside-downposition before the locking means may be operated to permit movement ofthe cover. The knob is freely turnable in the nipple 23 and this alsowill mislead .and confuse because one will imagine that r0- tating theknob has something to do with opening it. Even should a person discoverthe sliding movement of the knob in the slot 25 this will only help tostill further mystify him because he will have no knowledge of the studl9 and its functions.

For the purpose of increasing the mysterious or misleading features ofthe box, the cover and bottom are shaped alike as seen in Figure 3, theflattened portions 36 enabling the box to rest in a normal position likeany other box. Although the top of the pin I6 may be seen from the top,it may lead one to think that it is a de pressible bottom and thus alsoserves as a misleading feature.

Figures 6 and 7 illustrate a modification in which the box is providedwith hooked members 3|, 3! which project in over the cover to preventforcible opening thereof by inserting a tool in the dividing linebetween cover and box. The cover will be shaped as shown in Figure 6 topermit it tobe swung open as shown in dotted lines. A second dummy knobis attached to the box in Figure 6 to still further mislead. It

may of course also be attached to the box in Figure 1.

The box may be made of any suitable material and in any size. It may beornamented alike on the cover and bottom both for the sake of appearanceand formisleading purposes. It will be noted that the box is lockedirrespective of whether it has the cover or bottom uppermost and thattilting the box only serves to increase the difficulty of opening.

I claim:--

1. A box having an open top, a cover to close said box, means forswingably mounting the cover on the box to open the same, gravityoperated means at each end of the box for normally preventing openingmovement of the cover in either normal or inverted position, the gravityoperating means at one end of the boxes being always invisible and meansfor manually operating the other of said gravity operated means to openthe box.

2. A box having an open top, a cover to close said box mounted thereon,invisible gravity roperated means preventing the cover from being openedwhen the box rests on its bottom, other gravity operated meanspreventing the cover from being opened when the box is turned upsidedown and mechanism for rendering said last named gravity operated meansinactive to permit opening of the box in its upside down position.

3. A box having an open top, a cover to close the box mounted thereon, agravity operated stud in said box in engagement with the cover toprevent opening thereof in all positions except when the box is turnedupside down, a gravity operated 5 bolt in the box adapted to engage thecover to prevent opening thereof when the box is turned upside down andmeans operable from outside the box for disengaging said sliding boltfrom the cover to permit opening the box.

4. A box having an open top, a cover to close r the box mounted thereon,gravity operated means in the box engaging the cover to prevent openingwhen the box is held in a given position, other gravity operated meansin the box engaging the cover to prevent opening when the box is held inanother certain position, said first mentioned means then beingautomatically disengaged from the cover and mechanism for operating-thesaid other means to permit opening of the box. 7

5. A box, a cover therefor, means for mounting the cover on the box topermit opening'thereof by a swinging movement of the cover, invisiblegravity operated means in the box automatically preventing openingthereof irrespective of the position in which the box is held andmechanism operable from outside the box for operating certain of saidinvisible gravity operated means to permit opening the box.

ROBERT A. BONN.

